5R Studio

The Residue exhibition at Mangawhai Artists Gallery is a captivating group show featuring three talented artists: Alysn Midgelow-Marsden, Christine den Hartogh, and Howard Esler. it explores themes of memory, decay, transformation, and the beauty in what remains after time and natural processes take their toll.
The artists’ works are deeply steeped in tradition—drawing from fibre arts, photography/printing techniques, and sculptural engineering—while making conscious, thoughtful choices in materials to highlight sustainability and reuse.
• Alysn Midgelow-Marsden transforms textiles, fibres, wires, metal meshes/cloths, and found items into tactile, gilded, patinated pieces that carry emotional history and resilience.
• Christine den Hartogh weaves in botanical/rust printing, cyanotypes, beach treasures, family history elements, and discarded materials for contemplative, layered works that capture fleeting light, texture, and “double residue” of original + transformed stories.
• Howard Esler repurposes discarded metals, wires, and everyday objects into intricate large-scale sculptures echoing bridges, machines, and nature—honouring the “lived life” of materials by giving them new purpose.
Together, they show how we can create profound art from what’s around us: fragments, remnants, rust, fire marks, and discarded bits become records of change and quiet elegance. Nothing disappears completely—residue holds meaning and beauty.
A must-see for anyone into sustainable art, natural processes, and mindful making! Who’s heading to Mangawhai?